What color is oxidized gel-coat??

[pwerwagn]

I started working on my boat this weekend. I finished one side of the boat. I started with 2000, then on to rubbing comp, then to polishing comp, then to meguiars machine glaze, (all done with a rotary) and then meguiars yellow carnauba wax. (I followed your steps exactly, Pyro!!)
Im wondering though, when I wet-sand it, I get a lot of yellow color out of it. Im not even close to the paint yet. Just wondering if gel coat actually comes off the boat in a yellow-ish form.
later,
Jeff

[150aintenuff]

oxidation will be a yellowish white residue over the color, is it red by chance, if it is good luck you may find that it is oxidized clear through and no ammount of cutting or buffing will bring it back.....

[pwerwagn]

Yeah, it was red, yellow etc.
I wet sanded with 2000, rotary'd with rubbing cmpd, then rotary'd with polishing cmpd, then rotary'd with #3 machine Glaze, then with #2 fine cut, then orbital'd with #2, then orbital'd with #7 yellow wax. Looks sweet!!! It is a mirror now, you can see your self.
weird part is, the sanding produced lots of red and yellow and brown water. It acted like it was sanding off the paint, like the gel coat was gone. but after I finished polishing, you can hold your fingernail to the clear, and there is still quite a bit of clear between the surface and the color.
oh well, its done now and looks awesome.
I even got the wifey to scrub the entire interior with soap and a toothbrush!!!
--Jeff

[150aintenuff]

pics are in order....

[chynewalkr]

my metal flake hydrostream was oxidized slightly when i bought it, i did the wet sand buff thing too, and yes the oxidized gel was yellowish.

[pwerwagn]

ya ya, I know pics are in order. I have the oxidized pics saved on a disk somewhere, so I have to find that so I can post before/after pics.
It really made a drastic difference.

For those people who think you can stop polishing with just polishing compound and have a good finish, you are definitley missing out not using #3 or #2 meguiars. It is definitley the *Key* to a flawless mirror finish.
also, the only way to get it done is with a rotary. Otherwise, you'll end up either hatin the boat, or you'll have one shiny side and one no-so-shiny side.

later,
Jeff

[150aintenuff]

ar ya sayin its work.........

[pwerwagn]

at' all depends on whatcha consider werk....if your profession is cotton pickin', buffin a boat might just be mo' betta.